The Sixth Gym
by Pokemon-Princess.8
Summary: Rachel's battle for the sixth gym badge is not just a battle for the badge, but a battle with her past she struggles to face.
1. Chapter 1

A.N- Hey! This is my first story that I have FINALLY created! I am very excited about it and this story has been going round my head since Costa Rica in March. I have been a member of the site for a year and a half and I am proud to contribute a story :) I would like to just say that the two authors that have inspired me most have been **Texas Longhorn **and** Licoricejellybean. **Their incredible hard work towards their fan fictions has been nothing but fierce loyalty to their fans and commitment to their fantastic stories. Because of them, they have inspired me to write :) I would also like to dedicate this chapter to **Koru **for actually motivating me to get it done and finished! I just hope you enjoy my first instalment. Last but not least, this story is for **banana hair**. You are so very special to me :P

Ok soppy stuff over! Enjoy! It would also mean the world to me to receive REVIEWS! :P

Disclaimer- I do not claim to own Pokémon, Game freak, Nintendo or any other company relate to Pokémon. I do not write for profit, just for enjoyment.

**The 6th gym...**

The sun rose over the tips of the mountain tops and cast its morning light across the lands of New Zealand. The soft pink sky was scattered with pidgeys and spearows out catching the early caterpie, and in the distance the mighty roars of the legendary arcanine could be heard for miles around. This was the familiar sound that stirred a troubled young trainer out of her deep sleep that morning. She jerked awake at the sound of that distant roar, disturbing her first and most loyal travelling companion, Pikachu. Rachel received her Pikachu on her 12th birthday, yet cringed at how predictable her parents could be. Considering it was her all time favourite, it was the easiest choice, but still it was a vague disappointment. Now, six years on, she adored this Pikachu.

She sighed and gazed around her room. The light pink walls were barely seen under pictures of her travels, various tickets to Pokémon battles and countless pictures of her Pokémon. Her dressing table overflowed with precious stones, bracelets and sleek bottles of perfume collected from over 8 years of birthdays and Christmases. She managed to heave herself out of bed and rolled her big hazel eyes at the shameful morning reflection from her silver mirror on her wall as she began to tame her thick brunette locks into submission. She picked Pikachu up from her shoulder and nuzzled into her bright yellow fur. She crossed over to her bed and plopped her down whilst she got showered and dressed. Contemplating for the thousandths time that month, she wondered again if her three chosen Pokémon would win her that badge today. Today. A wave of adrenaline and nausea rose from deep within her at the thought of the sixth gym. She twizzled her tiny pokéball attached to a delicate silver chain around her neck for comfort- a trait ever since...

Downstairs at the breakfast table , Rachel's familiar sense of determination drove her to finish her cereal and begin training. Being at her Mums was a welcoming break after travelling for a few months. She was very conveniently based on the outskirts of Vermillion city.

"Rachel, now good luck today with your upcoming match. You got a letter from dad in saffron city. I'm sure he wishes you well."

Pikachu, full from her uncharacteristically small breakfast of half an apple dipped in ketchup, leapt up and settled down on Rachel's Mums shoulder for a sense of comfort; her Mum distractedly petted her daughters yellow companion and felt the common anxiety rise from the pit of her stomach. This was normal- ever since her eldest daughter turned the tender age of 12, travelling and battling alike concerned her. Except today's match was different from any other important match.

"Pikachu, you coming with me?"

"Pika..."

Rachel's concern for her little mouse persisted. "Pikachu are you sure about all of this? I mean I did-"

"Pika! Pikachu pi!"

With that, Pikachu sprung up from her trainer's mother's shoulder.

Rachel went and opened the garden door to reveal the vast, sprawling garden. She was lucky her Mum lived in the countryside with acres of land, containing ancient red oak trees upon lush grassland with flowers that ranged from the brightest fuchsia to the deepest indigo. Wild nidoran nibbled at the rich green foliage whilst docile pidgeys flew through the blue skies. The smell of freshly cut grass and pollen drifted lazily through the air. She then reached for her fire-breathing beast and released it to the air.

"Charizard! Come out!"

The blinding white beam revealed the large, majestic burnt orange dragon who promptly roared and beat his powerful cerulean blue wings and swung his fiery tail. He smoothly turned his swan like neck around to his master and friend, and beckoned to mount his stealthy shoulders. He held that blazing look in his eyes.

"Charizard, you big boy you, remember today?"

Charizard vague expression quickly vanished into solemn understanding. Once Rachel had explained to her dragon what she required him to practise, she watched him fly off at that alarmingly fast speed. She then proceeded to release her newly evolved Pokémon- Umbreon.

Umbreon. She was so proud and emotional when her little tough eevee evolved in the silvery moonlight. Umbreon was her favourite eeveelotion and it was by far the hardest one to obtain. During her travels, eeveelotion fans drove her mad. They were so predictable and usually just used Daddy's credit card to buy the stone to evolve too young, too fast. It really broke her heart to witness that; of course she loved her little eevee and it beat all those 'fashion status' eeveelotions with her real strength and speed. Her eevee would always show  
them, despite the sneering disapproval. They knew nothing. Her eevee had win 2/5 badges for her team! Only last month when she was training her under the pale light of the full moon, she glowed pearly white and transformed into a sleek midnight black Pokémon. Her softly glowing gold orbs and shining scarlet eyes marked a true moment of beauty. It was then she renamed her eevee, to Keyla. Keyla was Quechua for moon, and this fitted her like a silk glove. Rachel had never forced her eevee to evolve; she had just always looked... happier at night. Rachel could not have honestly felt prouder. Keyla stared disdainfully at the mid-morning sun, looking questionably up at Rachel.

"Hey Keyla, sorry I know you don't like this time if day but could you practise your shadow ball and speed? Plus if you could practise that special move I taught you?"

Her umbreon gave her a curt nod, and proceeded to create ghostly purple orbs from her pointed jaw and shot them at an impressive power into the hazy air.

Feeling satisfied with her Pokémon's training and independence, she went to sit down on her favourite rock to view their progress. She rolled up the sleeves of her thin grey cardigan and fiddled with her special Pandora bracelet, which matched her long cream vest top labelled London's calling. She completed the look with black leggings paired with denim shorts with silver socks that peaked just an inch above her black leather ankle boots. Her thick wavy hair had been swept back into a loosely tired bun which immediately drew attention to the pearl earrings received on her 18th by her beloved Nan. Her necklace was safely secured just underneath her top. It was then she noticed her Mum scurrying out nervously from the back door, wincing in fear at every flamethrower than shot through the sky. Rachel called her over.

"Hey Mum, over here!"

"Hey sweetheart, everything going ok?"

"Yeah, take a look at my Pokémon; they're all doing pretty well."

"You've trained them really well since I last saw you! I miss you when you're away..."

Rachel's Mum rested her hand gently onto hers and gave it a light squeeze.

"Mum, I know you do, but you also know how much this training means to me." Rachel replied softly.

"I know I know, and despite you scaring me half to death at times and even not having to tidy your room, I just worry about you."

Her Mum then pulled her into a warm hug. Rachel returned the hug gratefully and drank in her Mothers perfume. A moment passed until Rachel blurted out how she was feeling.

"Mum im so worr- „

"Rachel. You will be fine! Listen you've worked really hard at this! Just go and enjoy it"

She saw the look on her daughters face.

"Well, just try your hardest, that's all you can do. Your P-"

"Mum I know you're being really supportive and I really appreciate it, but talking about it just gets me nervous! I'll be fine." Rachel didn't want to worry her Mum and regretted her emotional blurt-out. It wasn't fair to her. "I promise I'm fine."

But Rachel felt far from fine.

After a quick bite to eat and many motherly concerned talks later, Rachel gathered up her Pokémon and rushed upstairs, her heart skipping a beat when she tore at her pokéball-

"Lola, baby, come on out!"

Outside, a sprawling display of a pidgeot materialized in front of her window, gracefully soaring under the rays of the sunlight and making full use of the open air. Pikachu automatically leapt to her head and Rachel followed, nestling into her soft feathers of her oldest friend. She waved goodbye to her anxious mother, who, as usual, was recovering from mini heart attack after watching her daughter leap off her 12 foot high bedroom window!

Apart from the thrill of the battle, Rachel loved soaring on her giant winged Pokémon. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue, almost as if it was reassuring her of today's events. After 15mins, the repeated scenery of fields and forests melted into the town of Vermillion. The city's colours were vibrant under the blazing sun, and many tourists were seen below tanning on the sandy shores or splashing carelessly in the vast ocean waters. It struck Rachel as ironic to view the city so upbeat- because the rising fear was threatening to overcome every last nerve. Pikachu seemed to sense Rachel's unease- she nuzzled closer into her, licking her cheek as she did so. Rachel embraced her and patted her lightning bolt tail- a quirky trait that was special to both of them.

'Pidgeooooottt' Lola cooed happily as they began to land. Rachel had nearly forgotten- since the gym leader was brand new, media coverage was still full on around the electric gym. It was swarmed with various camera crews, screaming fans and reporters without any proper space to descend. Amongst the heat of the media storm, she caught a glimpse of striking blond hair behind a rather tough looking electabuzz. '_Show off' _Rachel thought bitterly, although she was hardly surprised considering gym leaders were notorious for flashing their strongest and rarest Pokémon, especially if there was a camera involved. Truth be told, she didn't know an awful lot about him, except he was most likely an over-confident young gym leader using his newly acquired status to get girls and buy ludicrous and unnecessary materialistic items. Most of them were. Personally, Rachel thought this behaviour was quite frankly pathetic.

"Pikachu, honestly you could easily flaw that thing. Just because it's bigger and stores more electricity, doesn't make him better" she said reassuringly, and squeezed her tiny yellow paw. Pikachu didn't look overly convinced, and Rachel mutually understood why.

"Lola, just land a good dis- LOLA!"

Too late- unfortunately Lola descended right in the eye of the media storm which attracted instant attention. Rachel was met with a barricade of disorientating flashes, overwhelming noise and strangers thrusting microphones into her face. Lola attempted to beat down her wings protectively to intimidate the crowd, and Rachel just recalled her after narrowly dropping her pokéball whilst desperately trying to calm a growling, sparking  
Pikachu.

"Hey, HEY! Trainer, where did you get that magnificent pidgeot?"

"Miss, how much is your little Pikachu worth?"

"Over here! What tactics are you going to use against the young and  
upcoming Mr. Pickett?"

"_Pickett?"_

"Rachel?"

As if out of nowhere, a girl with a bright dazzling smile and a large pair of sunglasses perched on her neatly coiffed hair slithered easily through the chaos directly towards her.

"How do you-" Rachel stammered blankly.

"The 6pm match?" She stated briefly in a tone that didn't quiet sound like a question, "that's you right? I saw you fly in- that's a well trained bird you've got there- get OUT of the way, can't you see she is our guest?"

Just as Pikachu was about to catapult towards a man's camera, this mysterious girl lead her to the gyms gate- a jolt of adrenaline gripped her stomach at the sight of the entrance. Once inside the reception, the girl addressed her in a very friendly manner.

"Welcome to Vermillion gym hun, my name is Lucy Gold, and I want to apologize on behalf of the new gym leader for your trouble upon entering. His staff are doing all they can to, er, relocate the press." She swept back her hair fashionably as a small smile played on her lips. Rachel could not quite understand why she smiled in such a way but decided not to comment on fear of looking rude.

A moment of silence lapsed. "Thank you, Lucy, I was a bit preoccupied and didn't concentrate whilst landing..."

"No worries! I'm sure you would have been fine, well made your own way through but it's just that you were looking a little peaky so I thought I'd give you a hand. Everything ok?"

"Oh yes everything's great!" She replied, feeling irritated at her trait of having such a ridiculously readable face. If only she had a poker face! "Just a little pre match nerves I guess" she seemed to have covered her slip up rather well since she smiled in a knowing sense. Then without warning, she suddenly looked perturbed.

"O! Hun! Look at the time, your battles about to begin! Now!"

This caused Rachel's nerves to nearly collapse altogether, along with the feeling 1000 Butterfree had suddenly swarmed into stomach.

"Through those doors, Mr. Pickett is already in there waiting! Good luck!"

Rachel turned and missed Lucy smiling to herself as she pranced away- Lucy could tell this was one match she did not want to miss.

Rachel walked mechanically over, forcing her muscles to move against their will. The weight of Pikachu on her shoulder seemed unreal, and the pounding of her chest was growing louder by each step. Once the doors had finally opened after what seemed an age, a storm of cheer dazed her for a couple of seconds. Burning bright lights shone down upon her fragile figure. The place was packed and the boom of the commentator was barely audible above the crowd's sharp rise of excitement. She forced herself to the challenger's box, scraping any kind of positive words from her reluctant, terrified mind. This moment was extremely intense, yet she needed to gain focus and concentrate on winning that 6th gym badge. She purposely avoided looking at the gym leader. _At least if you win,_ she considered, _that show off gym leader would be put firmly in his place_... And she laughed inwardly despite herself. She numbly felt Pikachu tighten, but Rachel mustered up the strength to be there for her.

"Pikachu, baby, I trust you and I couldn't be more proud of you even if I tried. Just do your best out there- remember, don't think about what happened... You can beat this silly attention seeking gym leader. I know you can!"

Pikachu flicked her tail and sparks flew from her rosy red cheeks.

"Chu", she acknowledged in a small yet firm, brave voice.

"_If Pikachu can be brave, so can I." _Rachel mustered up the little courage she had left, and drew in a deep breath. She held her breath as she gazed up at the fuzz of the crowd, and forced her eyes to look directly at her competition, her own battle for the sixth gym badge. It was then it hit her. A rush of heat jumped at her insides and everything became nothing as that moment became everything. He was looking right at her. Those eyes and that striking blonde hair seemed like someone else's perfect reality.

"Ready?" bellowed the referee, knocking Rachel harshly back to her reality, "Let the match commence!"


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:**

Hey everyone, thank you for reviewing the first chapter! It really meant a lot to me and I'm sorry it took so long to get the next chapter out! I apologise for the consistency errors, and a few critical grammar errors, I really did fix them but they must not have saved properly :S

Anyways, here is my next chapter I hope you enjoy it and PLEASE REVIEW! J J

Disclaimer- I do not claim to own Pokémon, Game freak, Nintendo or any other company related to Pokémon. I do not write for profit, just for enjoyment.

**Chapter 2**

It was time.

Rachel regained her focus by pushing back her sleeves and tightening up her hair. She rechecked her carefully structured strategy and mentally prepared herself for the upcoming match. A streak of determination pulsed through her veins as she took in a deep breath. The surrounding crowd seemed to disappear into distant white noise- the only sound heard was the coaching voice in her head. Her battling senses completely took over her emotional turmoil as she rose up her first pokeball and shakily released it to the plain battlefield below.

"Oh!" exclaimed the commentator, "the challenger has chosen the evolved form of Eevee- Umbreon!"

Keyla got into her pre-battle stance as her golden orbs flickered in the glare of the stadiums flood lights. A rush of pride towards her beloved Pokémon clashed with her inner demon of fear whilst the anticipation gripped relentlessly in her stomach. She stole a glance at her rival- an unreadable expression crossed his face for a split second until he too called out his first electric Pokémon.

The crowd audibly gasped in excitable disbelief as the creature materialized out on the field.

"The brand new Gym Leader has selected Jolteon- the stone evolution of Eevee! Well folks- this is already shaping up to be a battle you wouldn't want to miss!'"

Rachel was stunned for a moment. A sickening feeling stirred in her stomach as she wondered at what age and level that Eevee had evolved just to conform to his title as electric Gym Leader.

On the battle field, the two evolved forms glared menacingly at each other- as if daring each other to fight. Jolteon's sharp needle-like fur prickled threateningly as Umbreon's scarlet eyes glared towards her enemy.

The referee brandished his two flags and snapped them downwards. "Begin Battle!"

"Ok Keyla, use head butt!"

"Jolteon- dodge it and use double team!" The Gym leader spoke his command with a tone that took Rachel by surprise.

_Smart move though,_ thought Rachel, despite herself. Umbreon's were known for their low speed stats, but what he didn't know was how much Rachel trained her Pokémon past the cold hard facts.

"Umbreon- just listen for the real Jolteon then hit 'em with a quick attack!"

"Um!" Barely five seconds passed before Umbreon's strong sense of hearing sought out her foe. Success! Umbreon had managed to send her electric cousin flying towards the edge of the battle field.

"Brilliant Keyla! Now- use agility to get close to Jolteon and use shadow ball!"

Keyla quickly disappeared and reappeared dangerously close to her opponent and pinned him down whilst powering up her dark attack.

"...Impressive use of speed from the challenger!"

"Thunderbolt Jolteon!" The Gym Leader commanded confidently, but without a smug tone she expected from him.

Before Rachel could react- a burst of electricity illuminated the already lighted field and Umbreon was jerked backwards; her attack dying in her jaws.

"Keyla!"

_Damn. _Rachel cursed at her own thoughtlessness- close contact with an electric Pokémon put her loyal partner at a huge disadvantage. On the opposing side, the blond-haired Gym Leader bellowed out his next offensive command.

"Jolteon- pinmissle!"

All too fast- the coursing electricity ceased and the electric foxes' fur stood up like needles. A threatening snarl cane over his face as he powered up the attack.

"Keyla!" Rachel cried desperately, "Leap into the air and use Dark Pulse!"

Keyla did not need telling twice- she sprung effortlessly into the air and produced the dark orb of energy. The glowing sphere tore across the air at breakneck-speed and struck Jolteon hard in his skull.

"Jolll!" groaned the electric Pokémon. The crowd's deafening cheers spurred Rachel on as she felt her faith in herself grow.

"Nicely done!" Rachel's new found confidence put her back on track. Her mind seemed to follow suit as inspiration struck! She decided to seize advantage of the hurt Pokémon.

"Keyla- whilst he's down hit him with shadow ball combined with psychic!"

"...an ambitious move by the challenger!" The commentator roared through the surround sound. The whole stadium seemed to radiate with excitement as they eagerly watched the battle below.

"Brreeeeeeeeee" Keyla summed up the energy to release both attacks- the shadow ball was propelled forward by the onslaught of psychic energy that exploded from the sleek midnight Pokémon.

"Jolteon light screen!" bellowed Pickett from behind his Pokémon. She couldn't help notice the concern in his tone. Astonished gasps tinged with awe filled the stadium as Umbreon's impressive combination attack bounced off the protective screen as easily as if it were merely child's play. Umbreon instinctively dived out the way as her own attack hurtled towards the protective glass and dissolved into soft smoke.

Keyla was showing signs of fatigue- her golden orbs were blinking much more regularly than usual, but a flicker of hope passed through Rachel when she saw Jolteon panting. She momentarily touched her necklace and rolled the tiny pokeball in-between her fingers. _How did Jolteon form such a strong defence against a special att- that's it! _Suddenly, a cartoon-like light bulb switched on in her mind's eye. _An Umbreon's special defence is much higher than that of a Jolteon, whereas Umbreon in comparison lacks in special attack power_!

"Keyla! Wait for my command!"

Umbreon looked round- utterly bewildered at this seemingly vulnerable instruction. Across the battle field- the Gym Leader looked faintly curious.

"Ok Jolteon- thunderbolt once more!"

"Keyla- counter shield!"

In a swift movement, Keyla rolled onto her back as dark violet whips shot out beneath her and prevented the yellow bolts from getting any closer to the midnight Pokémon. Jolteon struggled to keep up the torrent of electricity flowing relentlessly from his body, yet refused to give up. The crowd held a baited breath- the two contrasting forces smashed repeatedly, causing several showers of light to rain down upon the stadium. After what seemed like an age- the electricity weakened greatly and, to Rachel's relief and the crowd's simultaneous surprise, the purple vines overcame the bolts and caused a nasty collision with the electric Pokémon.

"Incredible!" The commentator was heavily drowned out by the shouts and screams from the around the stadium.

Rachel was overjoyed! "Oh my gosh! Keyla you are well cool! Seriously that was so so brilliant!" Rachel was so happy, and a rush of affection burned in her chest for her companion. Umbreon let out a sigh of relief and nodded over to her trusted trainer in acknowledgement of her efforts. Rachel felt elated at her first victory!

However- just as Rachel was about to call back her Keyla- Jolteon stirred.

"And another unbelievable turn of events! It seems that Jolteon is still able to battle!"

All her joy crashed down around her in that instant. _How is that possible?_ It rendered her utterly speechless. Keyla down below let out a yelp of shock but nevertheless resumed her original battle stance. Except this time her golden orbs barely shone gold and her legs were struggling to keep her standing. Above, the challenger stared at her opponent, as if for the first time she truly saw him for who he was. It was then realisation and understanding perfectly clicked within her mind. It was then she understood why she felt so strongly before the match began. Watching Jolteon proved to Rachel that this person took his Pokémon seriously. Umbreon was very well trained because she made absolutely sure she was ready and willing to evolve. She didn't underestimate Jolteon's power since it takes Gym leaders of a certain strength to qualify, but this particular electric eeveelotion must had been valued, loved and properly evolved as an Eevee for it now to carry on battling. From her nasty experiences from silly disillusioned fan girls- no Jolteon they possessed had his Jolteon's level of power_._ She focused her attention back to her battle and inwardly decided to win this for her and Keyla.

"Keyla- I know you are growing tired but you can rest all you want afterwards!" She was struggling to be heard over the noise of the audience.

"A little quiet from the audience please" The commentator firmly asked.

After a moment, a hushed silence swept the stadium as the boy and girl waited for the last remainders of the dust to settle. He furrowed his eyebrows, and she bit her lip in concentration. He then snapped into action.

"Jolteon- Volt tackle!"

"Keyla, brace yourself!"

Jolteon suddenly burned with bright energy as it pounded fiercely towards Umbreon's still frame.

"Jol Jol Jol Jol Jol Jol Jooooooolte-"

"Keyla _NOW_!"

Keyla instantly bolted towards the brutal lightening attack. She ran so fast a silver trail formed behind her as a purple aura of protection surrounded Keyla moments before a collision. Rachel was so tense she could barely breathe and her knuckles turned ghostly white as she gripped to the railings.

_Please let this work_.

BANG

A blinding light covered the battle field as several yelps of pain were heard from the crowd and the two Pokémon disappeared from sight altogether. Rachel desperately sought out her little evolved Eevee through sheidling her eyes and frantically hoped and prayed Keyla was alright. A tense moment passed, and she just managed to spot the black silhouette, standing, but just.

"Keyla- literally just hold on for a tiny bit longer!" she moaned hopelessly through the fading light.

On the other side, Jolteon rose stiffly to his feet and glared weakly over at Umbreon.

Rachel winced inwardly at how much pain Keyla must be in right now. But she knew how tough she was- and she was actually surprisedat how strong Jolteon was too. She stole a glance over at Jolteon's master, and he was... _smiling?_

"Jolteon is unable to battle", roared the commentator, "the challenger and her Umbreon wins!"

The crowd gave a large cheer, bringing Rachel firmly back to thoughts of her midnight Pokémon. Rachel ballooned with sheer gratitude and love for Keyla as she cutely lay down, utterly exhausted. She called her back feeling relieved and thankful that her special combination of quick attack and protect pulled through. She tightly hugged the ball into her chest, mentally scanning a list of all the treats she will reward Keyla with. Rachel's confidence rose once again as she enjoyed her first victory of the evening! Even Pikachu seemed to have relaxed a bit more, but Rachel could still sense the anxiousness prevailing from her eyes.

"So, what will the Gym Leader Chris Pickett choose next?"

-x-x-x-

Up in the glass box in the centre focus of the battle field, a blonde haired girl irritably rolled back her eyes as the crowd outside cheered and booed at who they were supporting. She angrily exhaled at his first loss and secretly knew he should have listened to her, quite frankly, better strategy. She bent down to her lucky bag and lavishly stroked her prized Pokémon with vain hope that this would calm her shaky nerves.

"He needs to win this" she said to nobody in particular.

She soured at what could happen- she was clearly a strong opponent, and winning this battle means so much her, and to him to some extent. As she pondered the possibilities of this match, this girl that could jeopardise it all sent out her second Pokémon...


End file.
